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Sarah and Daniel Correa never planned on becoming beverage innovators. But when opening a full bar wasn’t the right fit for their community, they got creative instead.

In this episode, we sit down with the Correas, owners of Fired Pizza in Stockton, California. What started as a mobile catering rig in 2018 grew into a food truck, then blossomed into a brick-and-mortar restaurant built on Neapolitan wood-fired pizza and a genre-bending beverage program that won them the 2025 Pizza Industry Excellence (PIE) Award for Best Beverage Menu.

Here’s what Sarah and Daniel get into:

• Why they intentionally chose to operate on a beer and wine license instead of pursuing full liquor, and how that decision shaped their entire brand.
• Crafting cocktails with agave wine and infused syrups that rival traditional spirits, without a drop of vodka or whiskey in sight.
• How relationships forged with local breweries and wineries during COVID became the backbone of a rotating, story-driven beverage menu.
• The strategy behind an eight-tap draft system built around community loyalty, plus the sorbet seltzer customers refuse to let go.
• Pricing wine by the glass to build trust with guests and move volume instead of sitting on bottles.
• Standing out in a market full of New York-style legacy pizzerias by committing fully to something different.

Show Notes:

Fired Pizza: fired-pizza.com

Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com

Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026

Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards

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The whole gang is back! In this special Pizza Team edition of The Hot Slice, host Denise Greer, editor in chief of Pizza Today, sits down with Kate Lavin, Jeremy White and Josh Cowan for a lively, insider look at what's shaping the pizza business right now. From big news about Pizza Expo's leadership to what's driving independent operators to the top, this one's packed with takeaways you can bring straight back to your shop!

The crew digs into the mindset behind one of the world's most acclaimed pizza makers, previews everything happening at Pizza Expo Columbus and celebrates a shift that puts mom-and-pop shops in the spotlight. Whether you own one location or a handful, there's plenty here to fire you up. Grab a slice and settle in!

Key Talking Points:

• Big leadership news: Jeremy White announces he'll step in as the new Pizza Expo show director when longtime director Bill Oakley retires in about six months.
• Pizza Expo Columbus is bigger this year: The show moves to Hall B with an expanded show floor and more exhibitors.
• Seven competitions: The Great American Pizza Challenge returns with divisions from best dessert pizza to America's best pepperoni slice and Young Pizza Maker of the Year.
• Hot Slice goes live: The podcast will broadcast from a quiet suite overlooking the show floor, plus a freshly redesigned Pizza Today booth and a Sunday happy hour with wings and drinks!
• Independents are winning: Top distributors report independent pizzerias now outpacing chains at the top of their sales charts.
• Value-driven spending: With tighter wallets, customers are choosing local independents for experience, relationships and community connection.
• Make your voice heard: Complete the operator survey to help shape Pizza Today content and Pizza Expo education sessions!

Show Notes:

Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com

Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026

Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards

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New York lawmakers voted to ban potassium bromate, and Rob Cervoni has thoughts. As the self-described “no bleach, no bromate guy,” Cervoni has spent years encouraging fellow operators make the switch to unbromated flour. Now that it’s the law, he says it’s time to pivot, not panic.

In this podcast episode, Cervoni breaks down what happens to dough when you pull bromate out of the equation, why pre-ferments such as poolish and biga are the secret weapon for anyone short on walk-in cooler space, and how time itself is one ingredient you can’t shortcut. He also digs into why Roman-style pizza struggled to catch on the first time around, what he did differently to make Taglio’s version stick and why he thinks the style is finally having its moment.

Here’s what Cervoni shares on The Hot Slice podcast:

• Potassium bromate speeds up fermentation, but it’s possible to replicate that effect without the chemical.
• How is a poolish different from a biga, and when should you use each one to master your pizza style?
• Cervoni blends four flours for his New York-style dough. What does each add, and what is the benefit of malted dextrose?
• The first wave of Roman-style pizzerias failed in the U.S. because they sold pizza like they do in Europe. Find out how Cervoni adapted the practice for a New York crowd.
• Growing up in a pizzeria from age 15 shaped the way Cervoni interviews staff and what he looks for when hiring.

Show Notes:

Taglio Roman Style Pizza: taglioromanpizza.com

Pizza Expo Columbus: pizzaexpocolumbus.pizzatoday.com

Pizzeria Operator Survey: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8906788/Pizza-Today-s-Pizzeria-Operator-Survey-2026

Pizzeria Industry Excellence (PIE) Awards: pizzatoday.com/pie-awards